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briandmyers · 4702 days ago · link · · parent · post: Reflections on my first year with the bees (long!)
I got really light-headed with all the stings that time. I don't have a very severe reaction to the stings (just a little pain and a red bump, goes away fast), but a dozen or more and you'll start to feel it!
My first beekeeper friend was in his 70's - he would sting himself every day, and claimed it kept his arthritis at bay. He'd catch one, and slowly smash it against his arm until it stung. It is surprisingly hard to get a bee to sting you, unless you are near the hive.
My father decided to augment his flower gardening with bee keeping before I was born. He got his first hive, got stung during set up and discovered that he was extremely allergic to bees. They rushed him to the hospital after he started turning different colors, swelling and breathing with difficulty.
Despite an unpleasant start he persevered, voluntarily getting stung once a month to build up a tolerance and keeping a syringe of antidote in the fridge in case something terrible happened. All throughout my youth we kept a few hives.
I've heard something about that and arthritis. Apparently there is some science behind it.